


Duskwoods forests are huge

by Lilith_Sam



Category: Duskwood (Everbyte Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:47:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29400042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilith_Sam/pseuds/Lilith_Sam
Summary: This story takes place after episode 6.After Jake vanished, Lilith decides to go to Duskwood to find Hannah, who's still missing.He said she was the key to finding her. She wants to find out, what this means.
Relationships: Lilith/Jake, MC/Jake, OC/Jake
Kudos: 15





	1. Part 1

A week has passed since Jake went offline. I haven't heard from him anymore.  
Shortly afterwards, Lilly of all people contacted me and asked me for help. A puzzle began of which at the end I saw a video of Jake that explained a lot. It explained why finding Hannah is so important to him and how he relates to her.  
Lilly saw the video, too and started a campaign to help him not be found by his pursuers. She is terribly sorry that she posted this video of lies about me and Jake and even though I have forgiven her, I have a bad feeling about integrating her into the search for Hannah.

Unfortunately, nothing had happened since then, no further clues, no threatening phone calls - nothing. It was quiet, too quiet.  
So I decided to make my way to Duskwood. On the one hand, to finally meet the others and to be able to form my own picture about them, on the other hand to conduct investigations in hope of finally finding Hannah.

It might sound weird that I'm helping a group of strangers find their missing friend and the way I got drawn into this was very odd. But my gut feeling told me to stay and help. And since it has never disappointed me, I stayed and since then I've tried to help.

In the course of time I have found out quite a bit but yet we haven't found her..  
Again and again something buzzes through my head that Jake Lilly wrote: 'Lilith is the key'. I haven't found out exactly what that means yet.

It's a good time to travel to Duskwood. I recently took on a new job, it's starts in three months.  
I actually wanted to use this break for myself. Now I use it to help a gang to find their missing friend. However, I don't hope it will take that long, as that will reduce the chance of finding her alive. And not just for Jake's sake, I hope she's alive and well, given the circumstances.

I don't have a lot of luggage with me, but enough so that everything fits into a large travel backpack. Besides my cell phone and my laptop, the most important thing for me is my notebook.  
I started writing shortly after I got into this whole thing. It contains all the information that I have compiled so far, summaries of conversations that I've had with the others or that the others have had among themselves, theories that I have put forward and stuff like that.  
Of course, there is also all the important information about Jake inside.  
However, I separated his information, because somehow from the beginning I had the feeling that he was concealing his identity and making a secret of who he really is because he was being persecuted.  
And I was right... I was right about a lot of my theories, not just about him.  
At first he didn't even want to tell me his name, but we were on good terms from the start and little by little he told me a bit about himself.

I write him every day, because shortly before he disappeared he wrote to me that I could text him at any time if something came up. Of course I like to do that.  
Even though we've never met, there is this feeling inside me that makes me smile when I think of him or when he writes.  
At least until he vanished without a trace. Since then I've been really worried if he's okay and wondered where he is.

I think a lot about the gang, too. It's a strange circle of friends that Hannah has there. Although Jessy once told me that he was actually pretty normal so far - at least until Hannah disappeared.  
A lot has changed as a result, which I also noticed myself.  
They argue, suspect each other and Dan is even in the hospital.

Dan. He's the only one who was consistently honest with me. That's why I trust him the most; much to Jake's amazement. But to be honest, I like the manner of Dan and even if he wears his heart on his sleeve you can be sure that he says what he thinks.  
This doesn't always seem to be the case with the others.

At first, Jessy wasn't at all interested in Thomas writing to me, but then changed her mind and wanted to get to know me. I think she's nice, but also a little naive.  
She was attacked by the kidnapper in front of my eyes and there was nothing I could do for her except to watch helplessly.  
Another reason I'm going to Duskwood now. So that this never happens again. I don't like feeling helpless and useless..

Then there's Cleo, Hannah's best friend. She'd do anything to find Hannah and will not shy away from break-ins.

Thomas is Hannah's boyfriend. Although, possibly also an ex-boyfriend, I'm still not quite sure about that. But he wants to find her at all costs and be reconciled with her.

Last but not least, we have Richy. Lately I really don’t know how I feel about him.  
At first he was so nice and helpful, but in the past few days I've gained some insights that make him seem kind of suspicious.

Oh yeah, and then there's Phil, owner of Bar Aurora, the gang's hangout and brother of Jessy.  
After the stories of the gang and what I read when he wrote to Jessy, I classified him as unfriendly. Then I talked to him myself and had to find out that he is really nice, apparently just fed up with the gang.

I wonder if one of the friends was actually behind Hannah's disappearance.

I didn't tell the others about my trip because I want to surprise them. Perhaps Lilly will find out very early, because I reserved a room in Miss Walter's motel.  
Before I left I wrote to Jake what I was going to do and I can already guess what he will think of it if he ever reads my messages.


	2. Part 2

Driving to Duskwood didn't take as long as expected.  
When I got to the parking lot, I parked my car and got out.   
Further back I saw a boy playing with a toy car, it must be Alfie. A little further away was an elderly gentleman who greeted me nicely but always kept an eye on the little boy - that has to be Old Gray, the motel caretaker.  
Miss Walter sat at the reception desk; although Lilly recently told me that she's also working again to distract herself.

After a little chat with Miss Walter, she handed me my room keys.   
The room is nice and looks very clean and well maintained. After I had unpacked my luggage, I took a closer look around the motel.  
It's a small motel with about 20 rooms on two floors, a breakfast room, fitness room and a laundry room. Small but nice and somehow suitable for Duskwood.   
Jessy had taken a virtual tour with me through Duskwood on the day she was attacked and this motel completes the picture.

It is late afternoon and I had actually thought about getting the gang together today to let them know that I was there, but during driving I changed my mind.   
I've brought dinner with me so I don't even have to leave my room if I don't want to. I actually always do that, because you never know what the possibilities will look like...

Now I'm sitting at the table, going through my notes and thinking about how things should go on for the next days.  
I want to find out more about 'Jennifer Manson', the woman who was found dead in the woods over 10 years ago.  
I also want to get to the bottom of the legend of the man without a face. I found the book in Hannah's cloud after Jake's disappearance and it mentions a few names whose families I want to know more about.  
And then there is the trace of Dr. Barret, apparently a psychologist, Hannah visited.

And of course I'd like to finally meet Hannah's friends. Somehow I have the feeling that one or the other is not being honest with me. And since Jake once told me that I have a strong power of observation, I want to use it now.

I'll ask them into the Aurora, because then I can talk to Phil, too. However, I have to clarify with him whether Cleo and Thomas can go back there. Since they tried to break into his basement, the two of them have actually been banned from entering the bar.

As I am hanging over my notes, lost in thought, and a plan develops, my cell phone distracts me and shows me a new message.

'Lilith, we need to talk. What you have in mind is a really bad idea.'   
I stare at my display in total disbelief about what I'm reading and who the message is from.  
Then I get another message 'knock, knock, knock.'

At that moment it knocks three times on my room door. Still in disbelief of what I've read, I stare from the display to the door and back.  
'Could that be', but before I can finish the thought, there is another knock on the door.

"Lilith, please open the door" I hear a male voice say.  
I get up, go to the door and look through the spyhole before opening it.

In front of me is a man who is about a head taller than me, in a black hoddie and the hood over his head so that I can't see his face.

"May I come in?" I hear him say.   
Still disbelieving I nod, take a step to the side so he can enter and close the door.   
My thoughts race, 'pull yourself together and concentrate, Lilith' I say to myself in silence.

“Thanks for letting me come in. But it is quite risky to let a stranger in. I could have been someone else”, I hear him say.

Regaining my composure, I reply "You are not a stranger for me."

"Actually, I am" he replies with a smile in his voice.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him.

“Trying to keep you away from doing stupid things” he says, now a little more seriously.

And then it spilled out of me: “Stupid things, hm? For more than a week you vanished without a trace, without a word. I was really worried about you. I thought your pursuers caught you. And what the hell was this with Lilly?! After everything she's done to me, you let me work with her of all people and solve puzzles that end up with an ominous farewell video where you say I shouldn't look for you if you suddenly disappear? I had no other choice but to come here! Nothing new has come up since then and all leads lead to dead ends or remain unanswered. How can I be the key to finding Hannah when I'm not here? I had to come. I have to make up my own mind because I no longer know who I can trust and who I can't. And anyway, what are you really doing here?"

“As I said, Lilith. We need to talk” was all he answered.

“Well, fine. Let's talk. I am listening. What do you want to talk about?” I asked him, sounding a little bit bitter than it was meant to be.

"Hmm, somehow I get the feeling that it wasn't the best idea to give up my safe hiding place and come here" he said a little sadly.

I breathe deeply to calm myself down. Speaking in a soft voice, I said “Sorry. It was not meant like that. I feel a little taken by surprise and overwhelmed. I didn't expect you to show up here. But I'm glad you're here, with me and you're apparently fine, as far as I can tell with the hood over your head. Can we start over again?"

"We can" he said again with a smile in his voice and took off the hood so that I could see him.   
It really was Jake. Indeed with a worried look, but he stood in front of me.

I couldn't help but laugh. The whole situation was so surreal.

"What's so funny?" he asked me confused.

"Sorry. The whole situation is just so surreal that I just don't know how to deal with it" I answered him, still laughing, whereupon he had to laugh too.

Regaining my composure, I offered him to sit down and asked him if he would like something to drink.

I sat down next to him “all over again. Hi, i'm Lilith. Glad to finally meet you.”

"Oh, are we starting so far from the beginning now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I just wanted to be polite and try to loosen up the situation as I feel like we're both pretty nervous" I replied.

“As I told you before, you really have a very good power of observation. Yeah, to be honest, I'm pretty nervous. To finally meet and talk to you. You don't believe how long I wished for that."

“I can roughly imagine it” I answered “because I feel the same way.”

“Lilith, I want to tell you everything finally. But what I have to say, I cannot tell you via a video or a chat. It has to be face to face. And if you never want to see me again afterwards or don't want to help me find Hannah anymore, I might even understand. I'm scared to tell you because I don't want to lose you, but the time has come for you to learn the whole truth."

"Oo-kay? You can tell me everything” and then he started to tell...

I just listened to what he'd said. He told me what he had done and why he was wanted. He told me how he searched for his father and came across Hannah and Lilly and got in touch with Hannah.   
He told me why he was forced to cut off all contact with Hannah and that a few days before she disappeared, she turned to him for help.  
The last part he had already explained in his video, but what happened after that, he left out in his video.   
He explained that it wasn't Hannah who sent the message with my number to Thomas, it was Jake himself. He didn't get any further on his own because the guys refused to trust him and give him any information because of his 'scary nature'. And while looking for help, he came across me.   
An apparently trustworthy woman with a strong gift for observation, who likes to solve puzzles and a helper syndrome was exactly what he needed.   
So he hacked into Hannah's cell phone and sent my number to Thomas, hoping he would write to me.   
However, since Jake regretted it almost immediately to involve a complete stranger in all of this, he deleted the message again. He didn't expect Thomas to actually write to me and he didn't expect me to accept and stay. Even though he hoped that.  
He went on to say that it was never his intention to endanger me.   
When Lilly published the video accusing Jake and me of being behind Hannah's kidnapping, he was forced to tell Lilly the truth about himself. However, the information released about him put his pursuers back on track, forcing him to go into hiding. Because Lilly tried to make amends with her #IamJake action, he now has the upper hand and some breathing space again.   
And with the last message from me, he has decided to visit me so that I don't put myself in any further danger.

As he told me all this, I listened to him intently and attentively. However, I had to try not to laugh at one point or another, as that would have been the wrong reaction, even if I had good reasons.

He went on, but this time a little more emotional than what he had said before.   
Now, however, he seemed very unsure of what to say next.

As he already wrote to me, he thinks of me far more often during the day than he would like and even if we don't know each other for long, he has this feeling that he has known me for a long time and that he is looking forward to our conversations.   
I'm the only person who can still make him laugh and he trusts me. Which is strange, because he actually has a problem trusting other people.  
All these feelings confuse him, but since he can now venture out of his hiding place without fear of putting me even more in danger, he finally wanted to visit me to find out what is behind it and how I feel.

When he was done with his explanations he looked at me uncertainly. "As I said, I could understand if you throw me out of the room now and never want to see me again."

I looked at him with a smile, leaned forward to him and say: "I have a better idea" and instead of saying something stupid I did something that I had wanted to do for a long time - I kissed him.   
His lips were soft and at first he was taken by surprise because he hadn't expected this reaction. But he returned the kiss.  
When we broke up shortly afterwards, I said “It's getting late and I haven't eaten anything. How about we order pizza and then continue talking? I also have a few things to explain to you."

While we waited, I gave him my notebook. “I created this notebook shortly after Thomas wrote to me and got involved in the case. Everything is there, the most important key messages about conversations that I have had or read and about theories that I have come up with over time. On the last few pages you will find my notes about you. It is best to read pages 2, 6 and 8. Then you will understand my reaction."

"Why don't you tell me what you wrote?" he asked me in amazement.

"Because I'm not sure if you would believe me" I replied with a wink.

I was right about some of the theories I wrote about Jake.

When the meal came, Jake had read the last page I gave him.  
"You're right, I wouldn't have believed you" Jake said with a laugh as we sat down at the table to eat. “I was right about you, your powers of observation are really impressive and the conclusions you draw from them. Still, I'm very sorry that I dragged you into all of this.”

"Jake, please stop apologizing. It was my own decision to stay after all. We'll find Hannah together” I answered and took a slice of pizza.

We were both quiet during dinner. When we finished, he asked me why I put the notes about him on the other end of the book, when the others' notes were written in chronological order.  
I looked at him amused: “Well, as you've read yourself, I'd had right at the beginning the feeling, that you're hiding your identity because you were in trouble somehow. And if they could somehow come across me, it is easier to take the last few pages out of the notebook in one piece and burn them to destroy any traces."

“That's really very clever. I'm always impressed by you.” He got up from the chair and looked at me uncertainly. "Um. You know, the trip here was a spontaneous decision of mine” he began.

"I thought so" I interrupted him. “If you like, you are welcome to stay here. It's a double room. Accordingly, there are enough towels in the bathroom and so on.”

He looked at me questioningly with a raised eyebrow.

“You know, even if I'm here to find Hannah, I'm kind of on vacation. So don’t imagine too much“ I answered his unsolicited question.  
Then I got up too and walked over to him.  
"Do we want to update our new knowledge with the previous information? There isn't that much new, but at least there is a little something I could tell you” I said.

He looked at me nervously. "Would it be ok for you if we waited until tomorrow? I would like to use this evening to talk about us."

I took one more step towards him so that I stand right across from him. "Of course that's ok. Then let's talk about us" I said.

But instead of talking he took my head in his hands and kissed me gently. This time I was the one who got surprised. It was a very sensual kiss.  
When he broke away from my lips, he embraced me. "You can't imagine how much I wish I could finally talk to you and hug you" he said, still hugging me.

"Oh, believe me, I can" I replied, still in his arms, looking up at him and smiling.  
“Jake, I'm glad you're here, with me and that you finally told me the whole truth. But I don't want you to put yourself in danger because of me."

“Don't worry about me, Lilith. As I said, they won't find me” he replied with a smile.

We stood there embraced for a few minutes; neither wanted to let go of the other.  
After a few minutes, Jake broke out of the hug.

"What's this between us?" I asked him and looked at him questioningly.

"I ... I don't know" he began, unsure of what to say. “I got you involved in this whole mess and we met under very strange circumstances and yet I trust you. I just can't get you out of my head and can hardly concentrate on my tasks. I think I ...” he paused, unsure how to end the sentence. “It's really hard for me to talk about it, Lilith. It's been a long time since I last had such strong feelings towards another person.”

"It's ok, I think I understand you too" I said softly and smiled. I wanted him to relax a little. It seemed to work.

"Thanks. But I want to say it out loud, even if it sounds strange” this time he was the one who smiled. “I like you, Lilith. A lot. And somehow I think you feel the same way. Even if I can't understand why."

Now I was the one who had to laugh. “Well, we agree on that. I also can't understand why you like me." Regaining my composure, I pushed in "but seriously, Jake; you are right. I like you too. A lot."

That was enough for him. He embraced me again and kissed me, this time more passionate.  
Slowly, without breaking apart, we got closer to the bed.  
He bit my lower lip, then kissed my cheek and my neck and I leaned my head a side and gave him better access. I moaned and he smiled about that.  
His hands slowly went under my shirt and pulled it up. I raised my arms in affirmation that he could go on. He saw my tattoo on my right shoulder. "Nice one" he said with a wink.  
I took the zipper of his hoddie and opened it to take it off.  
With a smile on my face I looked at shirt he was wearing and said "Hey, this is one of my favorite metal bands."   
He laughed "Mine too" he said smiling.  
I took off his shirt and aroused looked at his chest and his tattoo over the left chest.  
"Nice one, too“ I said and he jused smiled while his hands wandered my back and he undid my bra.  
Then he gently laid me down on the bed.   
Kissing every inch of me, his mouth slowly traveled from my neck to my breasts and belly.  
He opened the button and zipper on my jeans but then suddenly stopped. I looked at him confused "Why'd you stopped?"   
"Are you sure you want that?" he asked.   
“Yes, Jake, I'm sure. I'd have stopped you if I didn't want it.”   
He smiled and took my jeans off along with my underwear.   
Slowly, while kissing me further, he came up again and bite my neck. I moaned under his touches and kisses.  
While he hovered over me and kissed me I opened the button and zipper of his jeans and took it off, along with his boxers.

That night we forgot everything around us. There were no missing people, no pursuers, no dangers, there were just the two of us.

We layed relaxed in bed, embraced, again neither wanted to let go of the other. We talked about all sorts of topics half the night - music, tattoos, movies, computers, games – in between we laughed, we kissed, had sex, and repeated it over and over.  
At some point I looked at my watch and was shocked to find that it was almost four o'clock.  
"We should sleep, it's getting late" I whispered to Jake, snuggled into his ear.  
"Hmm" Jake replied half asleep "Night, beauty" and then we fell asleep.


	3. Part 3

The alarm went off too early and neither of us really wanted to wake up. Because we both knew that when we got up, reality would catch up with us again.

"Good morning, beauty" Jake whispered in my ear with a smile, then he kissed my neck gently. We were still huddled together in bed.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked Jake, turning to him so I could see his face.

"Better than it has been for a long time, thanks" he replied with a mischievous smile on his face. "And you?"

"Me too" I replied. “I wish we didn't have to get up.“

"That would be nice" Jake said gently. "When this is all over, I'll take you to a deserted island and then we won't get out of bed for days and nights."

"Promise?" I asked.

"Promise" Jake said, and there was something in his voice that made me believe it.

\---

We got up a little later.  
After I had a shower and got dressed, I went to the breakfast room to get coffee and something to eat. A young lady with blond hair was sitting at the reception and was talking to someone on the phone. I nodded to her.  
Equipped with coffee and a snack for breakfast, I went back to the room. Jake just got out of the bathroom.  
He thanked me, gave me a kiss on the forehead and sat down at the table to have his coffee and something to eat.  
“What's your plan? And how can I help you?" he asked.

I told him my intentions to come here and what I was up to do. After I finished I said “You should know that Lilly is working again. She was sitting at the reception earlier. I am not sure if she recognized me or not, though. Maybe it would be a good time for the two of you to get to know each other. What do you think?"

"I think you're right" Jake said, a little uncertain.

"If you feel ready, I'll let her know and then you can both talk. I also like to leave you alone" I suggested.

“I think I'll never be ready for it. I mean, what should I tell her?” Jake looks at me questioningly.

I smiled at him, walked up to him and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead “You will find the right words. It worked for me too."

Since I had decided to visit Dan in the hospital and write to the others, it was a good time for Lilly and Jake to meet and talk.

\---

When I went to reception, Lilly was sitting behind the desk. This time she didn't call.  
“Hello Lilly” I began “I would like to introduce myself to you. Hi, I'm Lilith.“

"Lilith?" she looked at me in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

“Well, I thought I'd come to Duskwood to investigate. And besides, I finally wanted to meet you guys” I said with a smile.

"I am pleased to meet you. And I'm so sorry for what I did to you and Jake. If I'd known who he is, I would never have done that” she said with a sad voice.

"I've already forgiven you" I replied “I also have a surprise for you. Your #IamJake action is apparently successful."

She looked at me in disbelief "Then he got in touch with you?"

“Like that. Lilly, he's here. And he would like to talk to you. If you are ready to do so. He's in my room."

"I don't know what to say" she still looked at me in disbelief.

I started to laugh “I can tell somehow that you are related. But seriously, Lilly, he's just as nervous as you. I think it would be good for you if you both talk to each other."

"Can you" she said uncertainly "come with me?"

"If that's what you want" I replied.

And then we went to the room.

\---

Jake sat at the table in front of his laptop, deep in thoughts. I cleared my throat. "Jake, look who I brought with me" and took a step aside so he could take a look at Lilly.  
The two looked at each other nervously. Then Jake got up and walked over to her.

"Jake? I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I tried to redress my mistake” Lilly said with tears in her eyes.

Jake looked at me and I nodded to him. Then he went to Lilly and hugged her. “It's okay. You do not have to apologize."  
With Lilly still in his arms Jake looked at me, formed a 'thank you' with his lips and gave me a nod to understand that I can leave them alone.

I quietly closed the door behind me and went into the breakfast room to get another coffee. I had my cell phone and notebook with me and updated the latter.  
Then I took my cell phone, opened the messenger and searched for Phil.

I typed: 'Hey Phil. Do you have a minute?'  
Phil: 'Lilith :) I'll take it for pretty women ;) What can I do for you?'  
Me: 'Is your offer still valid? That you keep a stool free for me in your bar?'  
Phil: 'Sure, of course. Wait, does that mean you're in Duskwood?'  
Me: 'Yes. I am. I arrived last night. Said I would probably be in Duskwood next week.'  
Phil: 'Cool :)'  
Me: 'I would like to meet the others in the Aurora. Are Cleo and Thomas also allowed to come or are they still banned from entering?'  
Phil: 'For you, I am lifting the ban on both of them ;)'  
Me: 'Thanks Phil'  
Phil: 'When do you come over?'  
Me: 'Tonight, I guess around 7pm'  
Phil: 'Very nice. I'm happy for you :)'  
Me: 'Me too. See you later'

After that was clarified, I started a new group chat with Jessy, Dan, Richy, Cleo and Thomas.   
I hadn't spoken to Jake whether he would like to come with me and whether Lilly should be there too, so I left her out.  
I wrote 'Hey guys. Can you come to the Aurora around 8 pm tonight? A surprise is waiting for you there.'  
Jessy came online first: 'What kind of surprise?'  
I replied 'If I tell you now, it will no longer be a surprise ... you have to be patient a little longer'  
Jessy: 'Uff. Fine I'm there.'  
Richy was next to come online: 'Hey ho. Um. Sure. I'll be there. But Cleo and Thomas are banned from entering the Aurora.'  
I wrote: 'Don't worry about that. It's settled. The house ban was lifted.'  
Now Cleo, Thomas and Dan came online.  
Cleo: 'How did you do that?'  
I replied 'Professional secret'  
Cleo: 'Haha. Okay, I'm in.'  
Thomas: 'I'll be there.'  
Dan: 'I'm still in the hospital, but I'm supposed to be released today. I just don't have a car and I'm not very good on foot at the moment. Could someone take me with them?'  
Jessy: 'I'll pick you up.'  
Dan: 'OK. Then I'll be there too.'  
I wrote: 'Great. Let me know how'd you liked the surprise.' and then I went offline.

Jake hadn't contacted me yet, which I took as a good sign.


	4. Part 4

I drove to the hospital. Once there, I asked which room Dan was in. Fortunately, he was still there.   
I went to his room and knocked.   
"Yeah" I heard a deep voice say and entered. Dan looked at me puzzled and before I had the chance to introduce myself, he said: “In your appearance you are neither the doctor who should finally discharge me, nor a nurse, you are definitely too pretty for that. Are you lost?”

I smiled and answered that I was not lost and introduced myself. 

"Lilith?" Dan asked me in amazement "what the hell are you doing here?" 

I sat down next to him. “I wanted to visit you and see how you are. Actually, I planned to send you flowers, but a personal visit seemed more appropriate” I said smiling.

He was happy to see me and we chated about all kinds of topics for some time.   
At some point Dan looked at the clock “Hm. Actually, the doctor should have released me long ago. Please don't get me wrong, I'm very happy about your visit, but I'm getting too much here.” 

“If you like, I could take you with me and bring you to Duskwood”I offered. 

"That would be really great" he replied with a smile.

I helped him to pack his things and together we went to the reception. Before Dan was released, he had to sign some documents and then we could leave the hospital together. Dan turned back to the hospital "I really won't miss the food there" then he got into my car and I took him home.  
He promised me not to tell the others about it so that I could surprise them in the evening.

\---

When I got back to the motel parking lot in the afternoon, Lilly came towards me as I got out of the car.  
"Hey Lilith" Lilly said "Thank you for introducing me to my brother."

I smiled at her "You're welcome." 

Then she surprised me by hugging me.  
"Do the others already know that you are here?" She asked me after she let go of me again.

“Just Dan. I visited him in the hospital today and took him home. I asked everyone into the Aurora tonight. So far they only know that there is a surprise waiting for them”I replied. "Do you want to come too?"

“I'm not sure if it's such a good idea that I'll show up. Since I published the video and let the others vote between us, the relationship between the others and me has been very tense. And they don't understand why I posted this video and now try to help Jake" Lilly said.

"I see" I replied "so you didn't tell them anything about the connection between Jake and you?"

“Well, Jake asked to keep his secret. And if he accompanies you tonight, it could be very uncomfortable for all of us, as the question will inevitably arise what happened, that we made up."

"Right, I didn't think of that" I admitted.

“One day we will all be sitting in the Aurora together” Lilly said confidently “I have to go back to work now. Oh, and even if there is no extra charge, I need to note the second person in your room. You know, for insurance reasons. But don't worry, I'm not taking his real name. Thank you again for everything you do for my friends, my sister and my brother.“

"You're welcome, Lilly" I said and then she turned and walked away.

\---

When I entered the room, Jake was again sitting in front of his laptop, deep in thoughts.  
I stood behind him, hugged him and kissed his cheek.  
"Are you ok?" I asked him.

"Hey. Yeah, I'm ok. I just wanted to see what my pursuers are doing. But apparently they are currently following 'me' up in Australia. That's a good sign. I never expected Lilly to be so successful with it” Jake replied.

"Weill, I didn't mean that, but it's good to know“ I said.

Jake closed his laptop and turned to me, smiling. "Well, then you have to formulate your questions a little more precisely."

I laughed, "Touché."

“Thank you for making me meet Lilly and for leaving us alone. It was good to talk to her” he said.

“You are really alike in some ways. And you're welcome" I replied "Jake? I would like to meet the others in the Aurora tonight. Do you want to come with me?"

"In the Aurora?" he asked "Why there of all places?"

"Do I hear a slightly jealous undertone?" I asked, looking at him with amusement.

"Well ... maybe a little bit. I read your chat with Phil" he admitted.

I started laughing but then kissed him passionatly. “You don't need to be” I said afterwards.  
I looked at Jake "Are you coming with me or do you prefer to stay here?"

"I'd love to go with you" Jake replied. "How long do we have until then?" He asked me and there was a certain expectation in his voice.

“Time enough that we can still discuss the latest findings and theories” I said amused.

He took my hand and gently pulled me close so that I sat on his lap.  
With his hand he brushed my hair behind my ear and started kissing my neck. “What a pity” he mumbled on my ear “I was hoping we would still have time for something else.”

It took me a lot of effort to oppose his plan.  
“Jake” I began “once we've found Hannah, we'll have all the time in the world for 'something else'. And believe me, I will do everything to find her quickly, in order to be able to concentrate fully on this" I alternately pointed to him and myself. "And in between I don't mind a little distraction” and looked to the bed “but we should deal with the case just as intensely as we dealt with ourselves last night. Don't you think so too?"

He looked at me. "You're right. I'm sorry. You know how important it is to me to find Hannah. Still, I can't rule out the fact that I don't need a little break from all this in between" he said with a smile.

I smiled back "Deal.”

I turned on some music, took out my notebook and we talked about my latest findings and my notes and the behavior of the others.  
We came up with some new theories, some of which we were able to dismiss right away. But as Jake once said 'being able to rule out possible theories also counts as progress.'


	5. Part 5

Around 6:30 pm we went to the Aurora to talk to Phil.  
When we opened the door and enter the Bar, Phil was standing behind the counter. We walked towards him.  
“Hey Phil” I said “may I introduce myself, I'm Lilith. Would you like to have an autograph?"

He looked at me laughing “Haha, yes, gladly. I'll hang this up here. I am pleased to meet you finally". 

We sat down with Phil at the counter and talked for a while, in between Phil served the other patrons.  
Shortly before 8 pm, first Jessy and Dan, then Richy, Cleo and Thomas came into the bar and sat down at their regular place as it's seemed.  
Phil let us know before walking over to them with a tray of filled glasses. He knew his regular customers well.

I asked Jake if he was still sure to meet the others or if he'd rather stay at the bar. He smiled at me and said “I'm sure I will meet the others. It's time to talk to them directly and not just spy, as a beautiful and smart woman told me.“

We got up and went to the table where the gang was wondering what the surprise was.  
I cleared my throat and said "surprise."

Jessy was the first to understand and recognize me. She jumped up from her chair, came over to me and hugged me: “Lilith, omg, it really is you. You are here!"

Now Cleo got up beaming with joy and hugged me very tight. "Hello Lilith. What are you doing here?"

Now Thomas, Dan and Richy got up and each greeted me with a hug too.  
After he let go of me, Richy looked at Jake who was standing next to me. "Hey ho. I am Richy. And who are you?” and held out his hand.

I looked at Jake, he replied with a smile “Nice to meet you, Richy. I'm Jake” and shook hands with Richy.

Jessy looked incredulously at Jake "Jake? Like 'the creepy, mysterious hacker', Jake?"

“Yes, exactly that. But I'm not that creepy” Jake replied with a smile.

Dan looked at me in amusement "so you didn't take my advice?"

"At least I tried" I replied with a laugh and shrugged.

We took two chairs and sat down. At first, Jake and I were bombarded with questions from the others, which we answered openly and patiently.  
It was a relaxed and easy going atmosphere.  
At some point Dan got up. "I need some fresh air" Dan said. 

"Can I come with you?" I asked. 

"Sure" Dan answered.

It was already dark outside, but the air was pleasant.  
"Hey Lilith. He's fine" Dan said with a wink. Then he continued “You made me think about what we talked about today in the hospital and with your manner. I apologized to Phil for forgetting my first day at work with him. He wants to give me another chance when I'm fit again. I would also like to ask Jessy out on a date. Do you think this is a good idea?"

I looked at him puzzled “Dan. What that side of yourself you're showing me?"

“As I said when we wrote to each other, I'm not made of stone. And I can be nice too, but please don't tell the others about it” he said with a laugh.

I had to laugh too “Ok, I won't. And yes, do that. You're straight, honest and kind. You may not get along with everybody, but you have a good heart and you're a nice guy. I also think that Jessy really likes you and sees the soft core in your hard shell. But don't tell the others how I speak of you. I will deny it.“

We both had to laugh. I didn't expect Dan to be like this.

When we went back in and sat down again, the others were engrossed in small talk.  
Jessy looked at me questioningly and out of the corner of my eye I saw Jake had a similar questioning look.  
I shrugged to give the two of them a sign that they wouldn't get an answer as to why Dan and I were grinning like that.

It was a nice and relaxed evening and it turned out later than I expected.  
We broke up around midnight. Richy, Cleo and Thomas drove away together, Jessy and Dan left the bar together and I said goodbye to Phil before we went back to the motel.

\---

When we got back to the room, I went to the bathroom as I was very tired.   
But then I thought about the evening and what I had heard and decided to update my notes. When Jake went into the bathroom, I sat down at the table and began to write.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked me when he came out of the bathroom.

"Update my notes. The memories of what I heard are still fresh now” I replied half absent.

He came to me and crouched down next to me. “You look tired. You should go to bed and get some sleep."

"Only five more minutes" I said almost automatically.

"Ok" he said with a smile, got up, kissed my forehead and went to bed.

I forgot the time around me when I was busy writing. At some point I heard Jake's voice “Lilith? Are you still writing?"

"Hmmm" I mumbled.

"I don't want to seem impatient, but five minutes have been up for 25 minutes."

I looked up and looked at him shocked. "What? For real? I didn't even notice. But I'm almost done“ I said and continued writing. I was really almost done. I finished my thoughts, closed the notebook and went to bed.

When I laid down, Jake hugged me and snuggled up against me. I felt his warmth and smiled. It didn't take long to fall asleep.


	6. Part 6

When I woke up the next morning, I was alone in bed.  
I looked up to see Jake sitting in front of his laptop drinking coffee.

"Good morning sleepyhead" Jake said smiling "I brought you coffee, he's standing next to you at the bedside table."

I sat up and drank the coffee. Then I went to the bathroom to take a shower and freshen up.  
As I got out of the bathroom, I noticed Jake keep glancing at my notes. “You are welcome to read it, Jake. There's nothing in it that I wouldn't tell you too.”

"Hm. No, that's not the point. I wonder how we go on now that we've met the others and they know we're both here” he said.

I sat down at the table next to him.  
“Good question” I said, flipping through my notes “for one, there's 'Jennifer Manson'. We still haven't found out what happened in the forest over 10 years ago and who she really is." I turned the pages "then there is the book of legends. There are a few names in the book that, if we can find the family trees, might be of some help" I turned the pages "and we have the notes from the sessions with Dr. Barrett and Hannah and Hannah's visit to this mysterious family. We have to be able to do something with it.”

"May I ask you something, Lilith?" Jake looked at me.

"Sure" I said, looking up from my notebook in his beautiful eyes.

“Now that we have all met. Who do you think accompanied Hannah to the family?"

“Good question” I began “because of the argument that Hannah and Thomas had, I still think it wasn't Thomas. That leaves Richy, Dan or someone outside the group. After last night, however, I no longer think that it was someone outside the group. So there are still Richy and Dan. When I asked Dan how good he was friends with Hannah, he answered about 6 on a scale of 1-10, which made me think that it couldn't have been him. Especially since Richy added that Hannah and Dan would have got on well in the group, but might not have so much to tell each other if they were the two of them. But last night Dan showed a different side of him to me. Hannah and Dan are the only smokers in the group, which means that they very often stood outside in front of the Aurora. So it could be able that Hannah confided in Dan and he accompanied her to the family. Let's be honest, Dan is a good protector just because of his stature and can be intimidating to others.”

Jake raised an eyebrow what made me laugh "What?"

He smiled “Oh, not that important. Please go on, you do that very well.”

"Um, where was I? Oh yes. So let's say Hannah confided in Dan. As we know from her diary entry, without 'him' she would have turned back and would not have been able to meet the family. The question that arises is what kind of company Hannah needed for the visit. That is not evident from the entry we found. If she needed a protector, someone to back her up, it could have been Dan.  
Richy says that he has known Hannah for as long as he can remember. So if she needed someone she truly trusted and who was loyal to her and silent to others, I think it was Richy. After last night I am more convinced than ever that Richy is hiding something from us. Before we deal with the question of who accompanied Hannah, we should find out what the purpose of the company was."

"And that's why I'm glad that you help me" Jake said after I finished my thoughts. “It would've never crossed my mind that Dan had another, nice side. But what you are saying sounds quite plausible. But how do we get to the bottom of it?"

“I don't know yet” I admitted.

“You should definitely add these considerations to your notes, if it isn't already in there. They could be important later” Jake advised.

After I put these thoughts in my notes, Jake looked back at me.  
"Well. I would like to discuss any more questions” he said.

"Wait wait" I answered smiling "where is the 'Well done, Lilith'?" and I looked at him challengingly.

Jake laughed but then said "Haha, well done Lilith" and leaned over and kissed me.

"Can we go on now?" he asked as our lips parted.

"Yes, we can" I replied with a smile.

Next topic was about the man without a face. We'll agreed that Hannah's kidnapper undoubtedly wants to be associated with the legend.   
We looked over all the information about the legend itself and the book of legends and talked about the threatening phone calls and the attack on Jessy.  
We had already discussed many of the topics before, but it made sense to look at and go through the information again while we kept finding new pieces of the puzzle.

After meeting the group and what we knew about the kidnapper, I was now convinced that there was only one and not two perpetrators and that it was a man. So Lilly, Jessy and Cleo were out of the question as kidnappers. However, I still worried that the kidnapper might be one of the gang.  
Even though I find it hard to imagine that Thomas, Dan, or Richy is Hannah's kidnapper.

"Can we take a break, Jake?" I asked after we had continued discussing other topics for a while. "My head is smoking from the many theories and slowly I'm running out of ideas."

"Yeah, that's a good idea" he agreed.

We went out into the fresh air. Our room was on the second floor and we could see the edge of the forest.   
I leaned against the handrail and looked out at the forest. Lost in thought I said “This forest is actually much too beautiful not to go into it. He seems so peaceful and calm."

"Right. But we should still avoid it until we know more” Jake pointed out.  
He stood behind me, hugged me and put his head on my shoulder.

"Yes. But I would really like to see the darehouse” I admitted.

I saw that Jake looked at me worried: "Lilith, I'm definitely not going to let you go there alone. I can't lose you too.”

"Don't worry, I'm not going there alone" I assured him, wrapping his arms tighter around me and leaning my head against his, which was still resting on my shoulder.

\---

We took a little walk and went to the grocery store to buy something to eat and drink. As we walked side by side, we were both lost in thoughts and didn't talk much.  
I kept looking at him and wondering what he was thinking about and whether he was really safe here.

“You look worried” he determined as we just got back into the motel parking lot.

“To be honest, I am” I confessed “I just wonder if it was a good idea to tell you I'm going here. I wonder if it were wise from you to come here and I wonder if we can find Hannah before your pursuers find out about you and you might have to go into hiding again.”

He took my hand and squeezed it gently. “No, it wasn't a good idea of yours to come here” he started and winked when I looked at him, then he continued a little more seriously “but it was good that you told me about your plan. As you know, honesty is very important to me. And you know who you're talking to. I would have found out sooner or later and then I'd have been very pissed off why you didn't tell me. At least that way I can be sure that you don't do anything stupid. Whether or not it was really wise to come here remains to be seen. But for now I'm very happy that I did it, otherwise I wouldn't have met you.” As he said that, he moved my hand to his lips and gave me a kiss on the hand.  
He paused for a moment before continuing. “I'm serious, Lilith. You're very important to me and I will do everything in my power to protect you. From my persecutors, the kidnapper or the devil himself. And you should know that I am careful enough not to endanger you unnecessarily. I wouldn't be here if I knew my pursuers are hot on my tail. Please believe me."

"I believe you" I said. 

Then he went on, in the meantime we were almost at the room. "Well. Then that would be clarified. And I'm still firmly convinced that you and I will find Hannah together” then Jake unlocked the room and we entered.

After I had put away the shopping, I sat down again at the table over the notes.  
Jake sat down at the table too, turned on his laptop and started typing.

After a while I got up and went back outside for some fresh air. I was frustrated that nothing new came up from the research I was doing.  
Again I looked lost in thoughts at the edge of the forest. More to myself I said “Where are you, Hannah? Where are you hidden from all of us? And by whom? Why? Why now? What did you see or what happened to you? What is this legend really about and where is the connection?"

“You are asking really very clever questions” I heard a soft voice say behind me that brought me back to reality “and we will get the answers to the most important questions. But for now you should come back inside. I made food and we should break up for today. I demanded a lot from you today."

“You're probably right” I said “but I can't stop thinking about it. I want to find her, but there are still too many pieces of the puzzle that we are missing."

“We will find them. The most important ones that will lead us to her. But for that I need you in good shape, nourished and rested. So please Lilith, come back in and let's eat” Jake said still in a soft voice.

\---

After dinner I wanted to go back to my notes, but Jake took the notebook away from me. "I said it was enough for today. So don't be so stubborn and lie down on the bed. I want to try something that I hope you'd like.”  
Since it was quite late and I was tired, I obeyed and layed down.  
Jake turned on the TV and put on my favorite show that he likes to watch too.  
Then he demanded me to take off my shirt and lie down to give me a massage.

It didn't miss its effect. I forgot about it all for a while and enjoyed his warm hands on my back.   
It felt really good and made me want more of him.  
A little later I felt gentle kisses on my back. I smiled and asked him if this was a new type of massage.  
"Yes" he replied smiling, before continue kissing "a very special massage just for you."


	7. Part 7

The next morning I woke up very early. It was still dark outside, but I couldn't sleep anymore.   
I got up quietly and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Then I drank my coffee.   
Meanwhile I thought of the forest and a thought occurred to me and I sat down at my laptop and began to research.  
As I was told the forest is huge and there are some hiking trails. Besides the darehouse there are some other cabins and bunkers, too.   
As far as we know, Hannah is being held in the woods. We still don't know why she was kidnapped, but maybe we could find out, where she is, when we found out more about the buildings and his owners.

Jake woke up a couple of hours later when I'd just finished my research.  
I let him wake up and have a coffee. I don't like being attacked with topics right after getting up in the morning too.   
After he had freshened up, I told him about my thoughts and my research.  
"I have to admit, you came up with a very clever thought" Jake said after I finished.

\---

After breakfast I made my way to the Duskwood library. I also wanted to go to Rainbow Cafe, hoping to meet the gossip aunt Misses Sully.  
Jake didn't want to come along and did his own research, but asked me to keep him informed.

In the library I found what I was looking for and took photos of everything and send them to Jake so that we had digital versions and we could revise it.  
Afterwards I sat down in the café and ordered a coffee and read the newspaper. Unfortunately, Misses Sully didn't show up.

\---

When I got back to the motel around midday, Jake was sitting in front of his laptop as usual.  
He was busy going through the files I'd sent him from the library.  
"Lilith. It's good you're back" he said with a smile "you were right with your theory about the forest. I was able to delimit it in three huts and two bunkers.”

I sat down next to him. “That's a start. And were you able to find out who the owners are?” I asked.

"I'm still working on it" he said.

A few hours and countless research and theories later we had narrowed down our guess where Hannah might be hidden to a bunker and a hut in the woods.   
We found out that one of the bunkers belonged to a family called 'Green'. The family whose father, according to the book of legends, seemed to be the origin of the man without a face. It was his son who, according to the book, was lured into the forest, tied to a tree and left behind.  
The hut in the forest belonged to Dr. Barret.

“Well” I said to Jake “if we're lucky, Hannah will either be in the bunker of the family 'Green' or the hut of Dr. Barret. The chance is 50 - 50 if we are right with our theories. What do you mean, bunker or hut? And how do we proceed now?"

"Now we're going to eat something first" Jake answered me with a wink.

While we ate we discussed how to proceed. Since we assumed Hannah was either in the bunker or the cabin, there were several different ways we could move on.  
We could either look at said objects one after the other, which could warn the kidnapper if we weren't careful, or we went to both locations at the same time.   
The latter in turn meant that we would have to let Hannah's friends know about our plan, as Jake wouldn't let me go alone.  
We decided to exclude Cleo and Jessy and just tell the men. After all, Cleo was threatened and Jessy attacked by the kidnapper and the fewer people knew about our plan, the better.  
But we wanted to inform Lilly because she would play an important role.  
After we worked out a plan that might work, I started a new group chat with Thomas, Dan, and Richy.

I wrote: 'Hey guys, can you come online please?'  
As always, Richy was the first to come online: 'Hey ho, I'm here. What's up?'  
I typed: 'I'll say when Thomas and Dan are here.'  
Now Thomas Online came up: 'Hello everyone, here I am.'  
And Dan was now online too: 'What do you want this time? You already know that I am still recovering from a car accident and need to rest?!'  
I replied 'Yes, I know. And I wouldn't write to you guys if I had another choice, but I don't have. Something new has arisen and I would like to discuss that with you. Can we meet at the junkyard tomorrow morning around 10 am?'  
Richy replied 'You are welcome to come over. I'm there.'  
Dan: 'Sure, where else should you be?!'  
Me: 'Guys, stop doing that. Pull yourself together! Could you let your childish arguments in for a moment? It is really important.'  
Dan: 'Sorry. Well, I'll be there.'  
Thomas: 'What about Cleo and Jessy?'  
Me: 'Tomorrow I'll explain all to you and why I don't want to involve them. Until then, I would like to ask you not to tell either of them or Lilly about it.'  
Thomas: 'Ok. I don't say anything and will be there too.'  
Richy: 'I trust you. I won't reveal anything'  
Me: 'Dan?'  
Dan: 'My lips are sealed.'  
Me: 'Thanks! See you tomorrow.' and with that I went offline.

I told Jake that they're in.  
Lilly had already finished work. So I would let her know the next morning before we drove to Roger's garage.  
It was getting late and tomorrow was going to be a long day. Still, it was difficult for Jake and me to switch off and relax, even knowing we needed to be rested for what we were up to.

\---

The next morning we both woke up very early. After coffee and breakfast we went through the plan again.

I went to the reception to Lilly, who was sitting behind the counter. “Good morning, Lilly. Do you have a minute? There is something we would like to discuss with you” I told her.

After we explained our plan to her, Lilly looked at us skeptically: "Are you two really sure you want to do this?"

“Yes, Lilly. We are. So, would you help us?” Jake asked her.

"Of course" Lilly replied.

"Good. So, we're driving to Roger's Garage in a moment. If the guys also agree to the plan, we'll come back and give you everything before we start ” I said.

A short time later, Lilly left the room and Jake and I made our way to Roger's garage.

When we got there, Thomas, Dan and Richy were already there.  
I explained our plan to the three of them. Fortunately, they were more than ready to support us.  
About an hour later all important questions were answered and they agreed to meet us at the motel at 1:30 pm so that we could start.

On the way back to the motel, Jake asked me where I got all the gear we needed.  
"I like to hike" I admitted "... and I'm a prepper. That's why I have one or the other useful thing in stock and almost always with me in a backpack in the car."

He laughed and said “I shouldn't be surprised.”

We were both very quiet for the rest of the journey.

\---

The others arrived at the motel on time.  
I gave Lilly an envelope and a GPS tracker. “The red dot is Thomas, Richy and Dan and the blue dot is Jake and me. The three of them go to the hut and we both" I looked over to Jake "go to the bunker. Fortunately, both locations are close to the hiking trails, so we shouldn't attract attention if we were there. In the letter there are more informations for the police. We should be back at 8 pm, otherwise you know what to do.”   
Lilly nodded.  
Then I gave Dan another GPS tracker and walkie-talkie. “The walkie-talkie is already set to the correct frequency. It might be that our cell phones doen't work in the forest, so you should take it with you. Put everything in the backpack so that it is not noticeable. Remember, you're just going for a hike." I said with a wink.

"Sure" replied Dan and put everything away.

Meanwhile Jake downloaded the route for the fastest route to their cell phones.  
I continued: “Both locations are approx. 4 kilometers away from here. Stay on the route that Jake gave you. When you have arrived at the hut, look around carefully and contact us. And if anything seems strange to you, please let us know. Oh, and if you should be back before us afterwards, don't forget to contact Lilly."

When everything was cleared up, we made our way into the forest.


	8. Part 8

Jake and I walked side by side in silence.   
He looked worried and I was nervous about what to expect, too.

After a while Jake was the first to break the silence: “Lilith? Do you think we'll really find her in the bunker? And if so, how should I explain who I am? Do you think she will be fine? I wouldn't stand it if it weren't for that."

I stopped: “One thing at time, Jake. Yes, I am sure we will find Hannah there. From what we found out, it's the best lead we have. I am sure that she is alive and that she is doing well under the circumstances. And I know that when the time comes, you'll find the right words. With me and Lilly you also managed to find the right words."

And then he asked another question that I had hoped would never be asked: "What about us when this is over?"

I didn't know what to answer. I've been thinking about this question since he knocked on the motel door. It felt like forever, but it had only been a few days. He was still being hunted and even if he had some space at the moment, sooner or later his pursuers would come back. I had my own life waiting for me at home. Even if Jake had turned it upside down by embroiling me in the search for Hannah. Then there were Lilly and Hannah, the only family members he had left. I believed that there would be no '... and they lived happily ever after' ending for us, but how should I tell him?!  
I had a lot more thoughts going through my head but for now I just replied "One thing at time, Jake. It's not over yet.”  
And then I went on without looking at him.

I wrote Thomas a message and asked how they were getting on and whether they had observed anything conspicuous or strange.  
We were apparently the same speed because both Jake and I, as well as Thomas, Dan and Richy had covered about the same distance.   
So far, however, they had not found anything and only met another couple on the hiking trail.

When I looked up from the cell phone to tell Jake what Thomas had written, Jake grabbed my arm to stop me. I looked at him questioningly.  
He put his finger to his lips and nodded in the direction he was looking as a sign that I should look there too.  
About 200 meters ahead of us we saw a dark-haired man with a light brown dog. I recognized this dog immediately because I had seen him in some photos. "Laula" I whispered more to myself. Then I said, still quietly, to Jake "Jake. If we don't want to attract attention, we should just keep walking a little further. We cannot yet be sure that he will go to the bunker. He could just take his dog for a walk in the woods. And he doesn't seem to have seen us yet."

Jake agreed and we walked slowly on without watching Dr. Barret. We were very careful that he did not see us.

When Dr. Barret arrived at the junction that separated the path from the hiking trail to the bunker, he took the path towards the bunker.  
It was another 300 meters from the junction to the bunker.

"How do we want to continue now?" I asked Jake "We can't go there if he's there too."   
In the meantime we were also at the junction.

"There's another route we can take" Jake said, showing me on the map. The path looked as if one could approach the bunker unseen.

I agreed, but before I could move on, Jake pulled me close. “I know it's way too soon to say this and it's nowhere near the best time to do it, but I just have to get rid of it. Lilith, I love you."

I looked up at him and winked "I know."  
Judging by his grin, he understood my hint and kissed me passionately.

\---

We took the other route, always careful not to be seen.  
When we were about 30 meters away from the bunker, we hid behind a large bush.  
As we knew from our research on the bunker, there was only one entrance. It was a door that was well hidden and led down, as it was an underground bunker.  
While Jake was watching the entrance with binoculars, I gave Thomas and the others an update.  
They had arrived at the hut too, but apparently it was empty and uninhabited. Following an intuition, I asked Thomas to approach the house.  
I was hoping there would be a silent alarm or something like that, so that Dr. Barret might left the bunker. Fortunately, I was right.

Right after Thomas wrote to me, Dr. Barret came out of the bunker and took the path that Jake and I had chosen to get from the bunker to the hut as quickly as possible.  
I wrote to Thomas that Dr. Barret was on the way to them and asked them to head towards our meeting point in the forest.  
Then I told Jake what Thomas had done to make Dr. Barret leave quickly.  
“That was very clever. Well done” he admitted with a smile. Then we went to the door of the bunker.

Thanks to the research we did on the bunker, it wasn't long before the door was open and we could go inside.

I looked at Jake: “Do you want to stay up here? Perhaps someone should keep watch in case Dr. Barret is coming back."

"No" Jake replied "should he come back, he won't get around to doing anything anymore."

In the anteroom of the bunker we found the evidence we needed. The jacket and mask the kidnapper wore during the threatening calls and attack from Jessy.  
I put on gloves and put the mask in a pouch. Jake looked at me amused. 

"What? This is evidence, there will certainly be prints of Dr. Barret. I won't leave the mask here so he can destroy the evidence while we're gone” I said.

"Do you want to take the jacket with you too?" Jake asked, still amused.

"No, but I'll take pictures of this so that the police will believe me afterwards" I replied and stick my tongue out at him before I began to take pictures of the bunker.

Then we went one room further. There was a cot against the far wall and someone seemed to be lying on it.  
We approached this person cautiously and spoke to her. She didn't respond.  
When I stood in front of her, I recognized her from photos that were shown to me. It was actually Hannah.  
I shook her and she finally responded, turning around, startled.

“Hannah” I began gently “please, don't be afraid, we're here to save you. I'm Lilith and this is Jake. Do you understand me?"  
She nodded slightly.

"Do you want something to drink? We have water with us” I asked, still calm and gentle.  
Again she nodded slightly. Jake found the water bottle and handed it to her.  
After taking a small sip, she handed the bottle back to Jake and tried to say something, but she couldn't make a sound.

"Can you walk?" I asked Hannah. She shook her head and showed us her foot. The ankle was swollen.

"Can you carry her?" I asked Jake. 

"Of course" he replied.

I turned back to Hannah. "Please don't be afraid. Jake will carry you and we'll get you out of here. Your friends are waiting for you not far away. Thomas, Richy and Dan. We'll bring you to the motel and from there to the hospital.”

Hannah nodded again to show that she understood and let Jake lift her up.  
I took the backpack and took out my cell phone.

When we were leaving the bunker, I called Thomas.   
"Thomas? We've found Hannah. Can you come and help us? She can't walk, her ankle is swollen.” - “Of course.” - “Ok, thanks, see you soon” then I hung up.

"They're coming towards us" I said to Jake and Hannah.

Then I called Lilly: “Hey Lilly” - “Lilith! Did you find Hannah?” - “Yes, we've found her. Can you call an ambulance and the police?” - “Oh, thank God! Schedule as discussed?” - “Yes, as discussed, we should be there in about 30 minutes.” - “Fine, I'll do it” - “Ok, thank you. See you soon."

"When we're at the motel, an ambulance and police should be waiting for us" I told them.

Jake looked at me worriedly while he was carrying Hannah.  
I gave him a look that didn't allow for further discussion. We'd discussed it before.  
About 10 minutes later we discovered Thomas, Dan and Richy who were coming towards us.  
Thomas took Hannah and made his way to the motel with Richy so that Hannah could be brought to the hospital as soon as possible.  
Dan, Jake, and I stayed behind to discuss how to proceed.

We told Dan everything important so we could make a statement towards the police. I wanted to keep Jake away from the police at all costs and Dan was willing to take his place in the questioning.  
When we were ready and approaching the motel, we saw blue lights. Jake separated from Dan and me so he could go back to the motel room unnoticed, where he would wait for me.

When we got to the parking lot, Dan and I went straight to the officers and gave our statements.   
I also gave them the mask and showed them the photos I had taken in the bunker. Since it was early evening, what we'd said was enough for the cops for now. However, we should come to the police office again the next morning at 10 am to undergo another questioning.  
Then the police set out to find Dr. Barret.


	9. Part 9

When they were gone I looked at Dan: "Thanks, Dan." 

He smiled at me: “No problem. Can I finally inform Jessy and Cleo?"

"You don't need to. We already know” we heard an angry female voice behind us.

When we turned around, Jessy and Cleo were standing in front of us and glared at us.

"Why didn't you say anything? Lilith, don't you trust me?“ Jessy asked me reproachfully.

“Of course I trust you, Jessy. And you too, Cleo. But after the threatening phone calls and letters that you, Cleo or your mother received and the attack on you, Jessy, I thought it would be safer not to tell you anything. For one thing, I didn't want you to put yourselves in danger. On the other hand, I was afraid that our kidnapper would find out what we're doing and hide Hannah somewhere else before we got there. I'm really sorry and hope you can forgive me” I ended my short speech guiltily.

It wasn't long before a smile formed on the women's faces.  
“You brought my best friend back to me. Of course I forgive you for not telling me about your plan, just to protect me" Cleo answered, hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

Jessy also got into the embrace: “Thank you, Lilith. Thank you for helping us” and she kissed me on the cheek too.

Dan, who still stood besides us, finally said smirking “Hey, I was involved too. Where is my 'thank you'?" Laughing, Jessy pulled Dan over to join us in the group cuddling.

A moment later I asked about Hannah. Cleo explained that the ambulance had taken her to the hospital. Lilly had gone with Hannah and Richy with Thomas.  
Cleo and Jessy wanted to wait for us. Short time later they also made their way to the hospital with Dan.  
I told the three of them that I wanted to go to my room to pick up Jake before we went to the hospital, too.

Jake was sitting at the table in front of his laptop when I entered the room. When I closed the door, he got up and came over to me. He embraced me tightly and I saw tears in his eyes.  
“Thank you, Lilith. I can't thank you enough for what you did for me. You actually found and saved Hannah” he said.  
I broke out of the hug to look at Jake. In his eyes I saw infinite gratitude and love, but also uncertainty and fear.  
I took his head in my hands and kissed him. "You don't need to thank me" I said as I peeled away from his lips.

\---

We made our way to the hospital. When we got there Dan, Richy, Jessy and Cleo were standing in front of the entry.

"How is Hannah?“ Jake asked the four of them.

“She's being examined at the moment” said Cleo “Lilly and Thomas are waiting in front of her door. Shall I bring you to them?"

"Gladly" I replied "do Hannah's parents already know?"

“Yes” this time Richy replied “Thomas called they on the way and informed them. They should be here soon.”  
I looked at Jake, worried, but he wasn't looking at me.

\---

Cleo took us to Thomas and Lilly, who were sitting in front of the door to Hannah's room.  
Lilly jumped up and hugged Jake and me at the same time. Tears welled up in her eyes: "Thank you" was all she got out. I pulled away from the hug and let Jake calm her down. It didn't surprise me that it worked.  
Seeing the two half-siblings like this made me happy on the one hand, and sad on the other. Jake had told me that he had no other family besides Hannah and Lilly, that's why it was so important for him to find Hannah.  
When I looked at them, the door of Hannah's room opened and the doctor came out.  
Lilly broke out of Jake's hug and asked the doctor how Hannah was doing.

“She's dehydrated and malnourished, has a few bruises, a bruised rib, and her ankle is broken. But she will be fine. I gave her sedatives. She should rest and get some sleep. But she asked about you, Misses Donfort, she doesn't want to rest before then” said the doctor and left.

Lilly went to Hannah, only to come out a short time later.  
“Thomas?” said Lilly “Hannah would like to see you. She is happy that you are here and would like to speak to you. Before that she doesn't want to rest.”

Thomas and Cleo laughed. That was how they apparently knew Hannah.   
Thomas got up and went to Hannah's room.   
Lilly looked at Jake and me. “Can you two come back tomorrow? Hannah should take a rest first, but then she would like to talk to you too. She is very grateful that you saved her” she said to us.

"Of course" Jake replied. Then we went towards the exit.

As we walked through the door, I saw an elderly couple entered the hospital. I only saw the man for a moment and yet I was sure that the man was Jake's father. The resemblance was amazing.  
I looked at Jake. Apparently he hadn't noticed because he looked at me puzzled. I tried to look again to the man who had passed me, but he was already out of sight.

"Lilith?" Jake brought me back to reality "are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." 

“Yes” I said “I'm ok.” 

Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed the resemblance, because Richy looked perplexing at Jake when we joined them, but he said nothing.

"How's Hannah doing?" Jessy asked us.

We told Richy, Dan and Jessy what we had heard and decided to drive back to Duskwood.   
Dan and I had to be at the police station by 10 am the next morning.  
Cleo also came outside short time later to drive home. She wanted to drive to Hannah's apartment the next morning to get her something to wear before heading back to the hospital. Thomas and Lilly wanted to stay in the hospital that night.  
We drove back to Duskwood in two cars and Dan and I agreed to meet the next morning.

\---

It was late when Jake and I arrived at the motel, but even though I was very tired, I couldn't sleep.  
Too much went through my head.   
I was happy that the plan worked and that we had actually found Hannah. I was relieved that she was actually doing a little better than I expected. But I couldn't get the question out of my head, why Dr. Barett had kidnapped her and kept hidden in the bunker. I wondered if the police had caught him. Last but not least, I thought of Jake's question. 'What about us when this is over?' I just had no answer to that question.


	10. Part 10

When the alarm went off, I had slept for about an hour and felt like I was hit by a bus. I got up and did my morning routine - to the bathroom, shower, get ready, coffee, breakfast.  
Jake was still asleep when I made my way to Dan to take us to the police and I didn't want to wake him. I left him a message so that he wouldn't be surprised about my absence as I wasn't sure anymore if he still knew about it.

The interrogation with the police went well and quick as it was the same officers who interviewed us the previous evening.  
They only had a few more questions and wanted the photos I had taken in the bunker. We answered the questions as best we could and gave them the photos.  
The officers told us that they had caught Dr. Barett, but he hadn't said anything yet. Due to the photos that I had taken and the mask, it was beyond dispute that he was actually Hannah's kidnapper.  
After about 2 hours we were allowed to go again.

We drove back to the motel to pick up Jake and drive to the hospital.  
Once there, the gang sat in front of Hannah's door.  
We looked at them questioningly. 

“The doctor is in there” said Thomas.  
He, Richy, Jessy, Dan and Cleo made their way to the cafeteria a short time later, leaving Lilly, Jake and me alone.

Lilly looked sheepish at Jake. “I told Hannah who you are. She asked me this morning and I couldn't keep it from her."

"It's okay, Lilly" Jake answered and took her in his arms.  
A short time later the doctor came out of Hannah's room and told us that we could visit her. Jake looked at me nervously and asked if I could come along.

Hannah sat in bed and inspected her half-brother. Then she said “You must be Jake. Except for the eyes, the similarity to our father cannot be denied. You look like him when he was your age” and smiled at him.  
Then she looked at me: “Then you have to be Lilith. Lilly and Thomas told me what you did for me and how you two found me. Thank you for saving me.”  
A few minutes later I left the room, leaving Jake and Hannah alone.

Lilly was still sitting in front of the door.  
“Hey Lilly” I began “is everything okay? You look depressed” and sat down next to her.

“You know, Lilith” she said after a while “I'm still feel very guilty towards you and Jake and I wonder if and how I can ever make amends for what I did to you. And I wonder how it will go on. I mean, my parents sitting downstairs in the cafeteria and don't know anything about Jake, let alone who he is. It's all very confusing for me."

I put an arm around her and tried to comfort her.   
“You don't need to feel guilty about me or Jake. As I told you, I am not vengful and I have already accepted your apology. I don't know what you and Jake were talking about when you met at the motel. But the way I know Jake, he forgave you too. After all, you tried to fix it and it worked out, otherwise he would not be here with you now. I can understand that the situation is confusing for you. I don't think it's easy for Jake and Hannah either. It's important that you talk about it with your siblings. You should decide together how to deal with everything. And by that I also mean your parents."

We sat like this for a few minutes until Lilly had calmed down a bit.  
Then I suggested that it would be a good time for her to go into Hannah's room and talk to them.  
I agreed to stay seated and wait to see if she comes out of the room. Shortly after she knocked on the door, she gave me a sign that I could leave.

\---

I made my way to the cafeteria to sit down with the friends and drink a coffee.  
When Richy saw me coming, he came up to me. "Hey ho, can we talk? I mean, in private?” he asked me.

"Sure. When I'd get my coffee" I answered.  
Equipped with coffee, we went to the entrance. We told the others that we wanted to get some fresh air and walk around a bit. Fortunately, nobody wanted to join us.

“Lilith? Who is Jake?" Richy asked me when we were outside.

"A hacker who helped you find your missing girlfriend" I replied.

"Yes, I know that" said Richy "But that's not what I meant. As you know, I've known the Donforts since I can remember. I saw Joel last night and today in the cafeteria. And when I first met Jake at the Aurora, he looked so familiar. Since yesterday evening I know why. Jake and Joel looked so similar, it can't be a coincidence. So again. Who is he?"

"I'm sorry, Richy, but it's not up to me to tell you" I said.

"Strictly speaking, you're not telling me, if I guess it right" Richy replied with a wink.

"Richy, please. You're putting me in a very uncomfortable situation. As I said, it's not up to me to tell you. Can't you just be glad that you got your oldest friend back?” I said and with that ended the subject.

After a short walk, we went back to the others.

\---

Hannah's parents were still sitting in the cafeteria. When they saw Richy and me, they got up and came to the table where the others were sitting.

"Sorry to disturb you. Are you Lilith?” Mister Donfort asked me.

"I am" I replied.

“We would like to introduce ourselves to you. I'm Joel Donfort and this is my wife, Emily. Thomas and Lilly told us what you did for us and that it was you who found Hannah. I don't know how to ever thank you for bringing our Hannah back to us” he said in a trembling voice.

I blushed "Oh. You don't need to thank me. I am glad that Hannah will be fine and hopefully recover quickly."

The resemblance between Jake and Mister Donfort was really evident.  
We talked briefly and then Mr. and Mrs. Donfort said goodbye to see Hannah again.  
I wrote a short message to Lilly and Jake to warn them, then I turned to the others and we talked in a relaxed atmosphere.  
The mood was noticeably better today, now that we had found Hannah and she was safe and sound.

A few minutes later, Lilly and Jake walked into the cafeteria.  
Judging by the faces of the others, they saw the resemblance between Jake and Joel too, but no one dared say anything.  
Lilly informed us that Hannah could probably be released from the hospital in two days and she, Thomas and Cleo already arranged to meet to pick her up and bring her home.


	11. Part 11

When Jake and I got back to the motel in the early evening, all I wanted to do was go to bed and sleep. But unfortunately it was still too early for that. Instead, I had to face the question that had stood between Jake and me since we'd been in the woods.

When Jake closed the door behind us he came up to me and embraced me tightly. It was only then that I realized we hadn't really talked since we'd found Hannah.

"How are you?" he asked me after a few minutes, still hugging me.

I didn't know how to answer that question. The same things went through my head as the night before. “I” I began, unsure of how my sentence would end “I don't know. I'm glad we finally found Hannah. I am relieved that she is doing well so far and that she will be released from the hospital in two days. I am concerned, as I still wonder why Hannah was abducted, why now and what is actually behind the abduction. I wonder how things are going to go on with you, Hannah, Lilly and their parents.”  
I paused for a moment and looked him in the eyes. He looked worried. “And I worry and think about how things will go on with us. I mean you've still beeing hunted. And you have two half-sisters who needs you. I have a life at home waiting for me, even though you've managed to turn that life upside down and make me question a lot within a few weeks."

He was still looking at me "Hm. I think I know what you mean. It looks similar in me."

"May I ask you something, Jake?" I asked as I loosen the embrace and sat on the bed.

"Sure" he replied and sat down next to me.

"How are you and the Donforts going on now?"

Jake looked at me puzzled "I didn't expect that you would ask that question." Jake started and then he told me that he, Lilly and Hannah had decided to tell Joel and Emily about Jake. From what Hannah and Lilly knew about their parents and the age difference between Hannah and Jake, Emily and Joel hadn't met so Joel hadn't cheated on Emily. And their marriage is stable enough to survive something like that. But they wanted to wait until Hannah felt better.

Next I asked Jake if Hannah had told him anything else about the kidnapping.  
“Unfortunately not” he admitted “she didn't want to talk about it and I didn't want to push her. We should give her a little more time to process everything.” With that he ended the subject.

Then I wanted to ask him about his pursuers, but he was faster.  
"May I ask you something now, Lilith?" Jake said and smiled at me.

"Sure" I said. We were still sitting next to each other on the bed.

"Can we stop discussing unpleasant topics for a moment and instead just be happy that we actually managed it together?"

Before I could answer I felt his soft lips on mine and he kissed me passionately.  
And for the next hours we stopped talking about uncomfortable subjects.

\---

When I woke up the next morning, Jake wasn't there. I got up to get some coffee and found an envelope on the table with my name on it.

I sat down and read the letter:  
_"My love,  
when you read this letter, I'll be gone already.  
My pursuers will have managed to get closer to me again and I had to go to not put you in danger.  
I'm writing this letter to you as a precaution while you're in the library to follow up on your leads.  
I hope so much that I never put this on the table for you.  
If I have to, I hope you can forgive me. I will get back to you as soon as possible. As soon as I can be sure it won't put you in danger.  
I have a plan to get rid of my pursuers permanently and when the time comes, you'll be the first to know.  
I thank you for everything you've done for me so far!  
I hope we found Hannah and that she is fine. And I hope you're fine too because if it weren't for that, I couldn't forgive myself.  
Love, J."_

I read the letter again and again, wondering if he knew the night before that this was going to happen. 'He'd looked so incredibly sad' I said to myself.  
I didn't know how I would behave towards the others and especially Hannah and Lilly and what to tell them if they asked why Jake is no longer there.

\---

I met Jessy because I had decided to go back home.

“You really want to leave again?” Jessy asked sadly “We've just met. And Hannh is back. I didn't mean to tell you anything because it was going to be a surprise for you and Jake. We wanted to throw a 'surprise thank you party' for you and Jake at Roger's Garage the next weekend.”

“That's really very nice of you, Jessy. But I don't feel like partying and I have to go home” I replied.

"Are you coming back again?" she asked me.

"Back here? With your many legends, mysteries and secrets?” I started and had to laugh "Of course. I have great new friends here now. I also have to come back to pick you up and take you away from here. Now we've found Hannah. Or have you already forgotten that?"

“No” replied Jessy “I haven't forgotten that. And even if I wrote you back then that I am ready to let you take me away when this is over, I have to confess something to you, Lilith." She paused for a moment." I am not ready for it. I want to stay here."

“I thought so” I said smiling “but luckily neither of us has determined how long you will be away from here. And I would be really happy if you came to visit me.“

Now Jessy grinned “of course I'll come and see you. You know that I really like to travel.”

Jessy and I said goodbye a short time later with the plan that she would come to see me in a few weeks. In return I promised to come back again for the "surprise" party. Jessy wanted to talk to the others about the party and convince them not to have the party until a some time had passed.

After I drove away from Jessy, I made another stop at Dan say goodbye to him.  
Then I wrote to everyone else and drove back home.


	12. Epilogue

It's been a few months since Hannah was kidnapped and I was caught up in something very difficult to describe.

After we found Hannah, and I had left, a lot has happened in the gang.  
Thomas and Hannah have made up and now live together, Dan and Jessy are finally a couple and things are going better again with Roger's Garage. Phil is still owner of the Aurora, the local pub of the friends and meanwhile Dan is working there, too.

I'm still in one of their group chats and have regular contact with everyone when I'm not in Duskwood. But especially with Phil, who had become a really good friend of mine, even though it's said he is a womanizer, and of course Jessy and Dan.   
If it can be reconciled with my work, I visit the friends monthly.

Due to my work I travel the world a lot, but it always brings me back to this gang.  
I just haven't heard from Jake yet. I still write to him regularly and hope he is fine wherever he is.

Whenever I'm in Duskwood, I reserve a room in Miss Walter's motel, although Jessy is not the only one who always offers me the opportunity to stay with her.

One evening, while I'm in Duskwood for a few days again, I was sitting in my motel room when my cell phone showed me a new message.

'Phil is early today. I just got here' I tell myself before looking at the message.

When I saw the message, I smiled. 'Knock, knock, knock' it says and at that moment it knocks three times on my room door.

When I open the door, Jake is in front of me.

“May I come in?” he asks me insecure. I nod, take a step aside and let him enter. 

Before he can say anything, I take the floor and ask him: "Did you make it?"

He first looks at me puzzled, then understands what I mean and answers with a smile "Yes."

This one word was enough for me. I went up to him and kissed him passionately.   
At that moment I knew that Phil wouldn't see me that evening.


End file.
